DUI suspected in Friant-Kern Canal crash that killed Reedley woman

A late-night ride in rural eastern Fresno County turned deadly when a Dodge Challenger plunged into the Friant-Kern Canal off Jensen Avenue, leaving a 25-year-old Reedley woman dead and a 22-year-old driver under arrest on suspicion of DUI.

The crash happened about 11:25 p.m. Thursday, April 23, 2026, just east of Navelencia Avenue. Investigators said the Challenger had been involved in reckless driving in a nearby dirt lot before it reached the canal, where dust reportedly cut visibility and helped set up the plunge into the water.

Three people were inside the car. Two men escaped the submerged Challenger and made it out of the canal, but the female passenger in the rear seat was reported missing as crews rushed to the scene. CAL FIRE deployed a water rescue team to search downstream, where rescuers found her before removing her from the canal and giving lifesaving measures. She was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead.

Later reporting identified the victim as Wendy Rivera Gonzalez of Reedley. The driver was identified by the California Highway Patrol as Alexander Alcocer, 22, who investigators said was under the influence of alcohol when the crash happened. Alcocer was arrested at the scene on suspicion of driving under the influence causing injury and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office was also notified, and recovery of the submerged vehicle continued into the following morning with a diver and tow service. The case remained under investigation as CHP worked to piece together the sequence of events that began in a dirt lot and ended in one of the county’s deadliest outcomes: a vehicle in moving water, a dark rural roadway, and a family now left with a fatal collision that unfolded in minutes.